Tag: Josh Giddey

Josh Giddey limited to 5 minutes in summer league debut due to injury

Giddey tried to play through the injury but was eventually pulled from the lineup and taken back to the locker room.

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Josh Giddey on Sunday was forced to leave his debut game of the Las Vegas Summer League early after suffering an apparent ankle injury.

The Thunder announced at halftime that Giddey would not return to the contest due to a left ankle sprain. He tried to play through the injury but was eventually pulled from the lineup and taken back to the locker room for further evaluation.

Giddey, who was the sixth overall pick, registered just two points on 1-of-3 shooting from the field prior to exiting the 76-72 win over the Detroit Pistons. His lone field goal of the game occurred just seconds into the first quarter.

The Thunder have not released an update on the injury, or if Giddey will play on Wednesday versus the New Orleans Pelicans. Certainly, the team will be cautious with the injury and not rush Giddey back into action too soon in Las Vegas.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=35489,34801,31959]

[mm-video type=video id=01fcpgczd5dc3hcgm2w0 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fcpgczd5dc3hcgm2w0/01fcpgczd5dc3hcgm2w0-e0944afc9ad4deaaad9d97021073c8b7.jpg]

[listicle id=35741]

Thunder draft Josh Giddey with No. 6 pick in NBA draft

With the sixth pick in the NBA draft, the OKC Thunder went with Josh Giddey, a 6-foot-8 smooth-passing Australian who played in the NBL.

The Oklahoma City Thunder once again went against traditional thought with the No. 6 pick in the NBA draft. After months of speculation on whether they would take Jonathan Kuminga, Scottie Barnes or James Bouknight, they went in a different direction: smooth-passing Australian guard Josh Giddey.

With Giddey on board, the Thunder boost their playmaking versatility and positionless basketball that head coach Mark Daigneault so desires from his squad.

Like Aleksej Pokusevski last year, Giddey is 18 years old but has professional experience. In the NBL, he recorded three triple-doubles and averaged 10.9 points, 7.5 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game as he was named the NBL Rookie of the Year.

Giddey is 6-foot-8, which adds an element to his game that is difficult to find among guards. He and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander form a tall and long duo on the perimeter, and they will look to initiate the offense together in a way Oklahoma City struggled to last season.

In taking Giddey, the Thunder passed on Kuminga and Bouknight, among other players. Kuminga is considered very raw but had been projected to go as high as fifth. Bouknight looks like a player who could develop into an elite scorer.

Instead of going with one of those guys, the Thunder went in a direction that they have done so often: a playmaking, oversized player with professional experience.

Barring any trades, they also hold picks No. 16, 18, 34, 36 and 55 on Thursday night.

A roundup of NBA sleepers draft analysts are higher on than others

Who owns the most real estate on Davion Mitchell Island? Who is buying stock in Sharife Cooper?

Everyone loves Cade Cunningham. It’s not a hot take for an analyst to say that Cunningham is their favorite player in the class. That’s not particularly interesting to read, either.

But what is fascinating, however, is when an analyst deviates from the norm and ranks someone significantly higher than where the prospect falls in other rankings. What does that tell us about their individual scouting process and what they value? Further, what does that tell us about the potential draftee?

Some folks call it “buying stock” in a player. Others, like ESPN’s Zach Lowe or The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, call it owning real estate on a player’s island. I like to refer to it as a “draft crush” when I wind up higher than consensus in my evaluation of a player.

My process is ridiculously tedious but the results can be fairly useful. I’ve tracked the evolution of more than sixty unique mock drafts, big boards and draft models from trusted analysts and popular accounts on Twitter.

Each placement is assigned a value based on Kevin Pelton’s draft pick trade value chart. I do this because, as Pelton notes, the difference in relative value between the No. 5 overall pick and the No. 7 overall is much more stark than, say, that of the No. 45 pick and the No. 47 pick.

After composing an aggregate score based on each ranking, I can see where each analyst strays from the pack.

I’ll leave the conclusions drawn from these results up to the reader. But if nothing else, this can eventually be used as a bragging point if one writer was higher than consensus on a draftee who eventually ends up outperforming his draft position.

Final 2021 NBA Mock Draft: Latest intel, trade rumors and predicting all 60 picks

Wasn’t it just the 2020 NBA draft? How is the 2021 NBA draft already here? Crazy, maybe, but the league is about to have a ton of new faces.

Wasn’t it just the 2020 NBA draft? How is the 2021 NBA draft already here? Crazy, maybe, but the league is about to have a ton of new faces.

The names that you’re most likely to hear at the top are Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley. But the draft will start heating up once guys like Jalen Suggs, Scottie Barnes and Jonathan Kuminga start to find their new homes.

This draft will also be unique in that there will be fewer players in attendance than usual. According to one prospect who recently spoke to For The Win, due to COVID-19 restrictions, those not invited to the green room are not allowed to come to the stage and shake the hand of the commissioner as they have been in years past.

Regardless of who is actually in the building, however, it is certain to be an exciting and life-changing night for the next generation of NBA talent.

Based on conversations I’ve had with scouts around the league, and from reports and tea leaves left in other mock drafts from trusted draftniks, below is how I project the events will unfold at Barclays Center and on ESPN and ABC at 8:00 p.m. ET on July 29.

Josh Giddey ‘a strong possibility’ for Warriors with No. 7 pick

The Australian point guard appears to be rising up through the ranks and could be a target of the Warriors on Thursday.

Ahead of the NBA draft, Australian point guard Josh Giddey appears to be rising up through the ranks and could be a target of the Golden State Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

According to Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle, Giddey is a strong possibility for the Warriors at No. 7. Giddey, who played last season with the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League, projects to fill a need as the backup ballhandler behind Stephen Curry.

The 6-foot-8 guard, who was named the NBL Rookie of the Year, produced a sensational season with the 36ers, averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28 games. He became the youngest Australian to register a triple-double in the NBL.

Giddey recently finished a stint with the Australian basketball team during its exhibition games in Las Vegas and apparently left an impression. He produced 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot versus Nigeria in his lone appearance with the Boomers.

[mm-video type=video id=01fbj28p999q5qah1hcp playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jz4xgnrkxx89vh image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fbj28p999q5qah1hcp/01fbj28p999q5qah1hcp-19bde3923c3c8d1df30c4e804eff1a8e.jpg]

Giddey has drawn comparisons to fellow Australian Ben Simmons with his ability to lead and get others involved, something that would certainly fit in the Warriors’ pass-happy system. He is arguably the best passer in the draft and would give the Warriors another playmaker.

While the Warriors are apparently interested in Giddey, he has also drawn some interest from the Memphis Grizzlies. On Monday, they reportedly acquired the 10th overall pick from the New Orleans Pelicans with the hope to target him on draft night.

Giddey was previously linked heavily to the San Antonio Spurs with the 12th pick, but he appears to have improved his stock after his performance with Australia. Now, it appears his ceiling in the draft could be the Warriors at No. 7.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOFn90mxKBU

Entering the draft, the Warriors were once believed to be interested in trading either their seventh or 14th overall picks to acquire veterans that can help them win now. However, that thinking may have changed as the team may now elect to keep both picks.

Warriors president Bob Myers on Monday said the team currently has no plans on trading those two picks. He did acknowledge that stance could change with Thursday approaching as teams tend to ramp up trade talks on draft night.

Golden State enters the draft as one of the wild cards: Its plans appear to be very fluid. With some assets available, it will be worth monitoring how they operate and which prospects they target.

The NBA draft is scheduled to begin Thursday at 8 p.m. EDT on ESPN.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=35489,34801,31959]

[listicle id=35519]

Report: Grizzlies targeting Josh Giddey after acquiring 10th pick

The Grizzlies on Monday reportedly acquired the 10th pick from the Pelicans in the trade involving Jonas Valanciunas.

On Monday, the Memphis Grizzlies reportedly agreed to trade Jonas Valanciunas and the 17th overall pick in the NBA draft to the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

The Pelicans will send Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, the 10th overall pick and a protected 2022 first-round pick to the Grizzlies. The two teams also agreed to swap second-round picks this year, with the Pelicans acquiring the 40th pick and the Grizzlies getting the 51st pick.

The trade between the two teams has been discussed extensively in recent days and it was finally agreed upon on Monday. With the move, the Grizzlies move up from 17 into the lottery and they appear to already have a target in mind.

According to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, the Grizzlies are believed to be targeting Josh Giddey of the National Basketball League with the 10th overall pick. Memphis has been high on Giddey for quite some time now and could draft him following the trade.

Giddey recently finished up a stint with the Australian basketball team during their exhibition games in Las Vegas and apparently left an impression. He produced 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot versus Nigeria in his lone appearance with the Boomers.

The 6-foot-8 guard, who was named the NBL Rookie of the Year, produced a sensational season with the 36ers, averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28 games with the Adelaide 36ers. He led all players in assists while he finished sixth in rebounding.

He was the youngest Australian in the NBL to register a triple-double.

[mm-video type=video id=01fbj28p999q5qah1hcp playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fbj28p999q5qah1hcp/01fbj28p999q5qah1hcp-19bde3923c3c8d1df30c4e804eff1a8e.jpg]

Giddey has drawn comparisons to fellow Australian Ben Simmons with his ability to lead and get others involved, something the Grizzlies would like to add next to Ja Morant. He is arguably the best passer in the draft this year and would give the Grizzlies another playmaker.

The 18-year-old was previously linked heavily to the San Antonio Spurs with the 12th pick, but appears to have improved his stock after his performance with Australia. He certainly made an impression on teams, and the Grizzlies may get him after making a move on Monday.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=35489,34801,31959]

[listicle id=35519]

Prospect Josh Giddey credits Ben Simmons, Matisse Thybulle for advice

Draft prospect Josh Giddey has turned to Philadelphia 76ers stars Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle for inspiration.

The NBA draft is a time for the next wave of young prospects to come in and make their impact on the league. It is a time when dreams come true for a lot of young players.

In order to prep for this moment, there is a lot of work to be done such as pre-draft workouts and interviews as well as looking to get some advice from players who are already in the league.

For Australian native Josh Giddey, he turned to two members of the Philadelphia 76ers: fellow Australians Ben Simmons and Matisse Thybulle.

Giddey joined The Athletic and The Stadium’s Shams Charania and said this about his relationship with Simmons:

Ben’s obviously a superstar talent, and we haven’t spoke, we spoke a little bit here and there, but I’m praying, fingers crossed that going forward he’s young, I’m young, that we can lead this next crop of Australian players at World Cups and Olympic games. Ben’s obviously a superstar talent and Australia, obviously wants him to play, and I think we all do and as we all know, he’s going through stuff right now so no one’s, we’re not hating on him for not for not playing. I think all the guys are supporting him and completely getting around him and understanding the situation. Hopefully in the next year or two, me and Ben could be teammates on the Australian team.

Then there is Thybulle who Giddey had a chance to work out with the Boomers before the Olympics and he talked to Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor about Thybulle:

I’ve been in that position, not in the NBA, but in the NBL, I had a slow start to the year. It took me a little while to find my feet but it’s about staying with it. You learn from vets on the team that they’ll help you and guide you through those tough times. A lot of rookies go through it. I had Josh Green and Matisse Thybulle on the team, two of the younger guys and new to the NBA, so to be able to hear from their experiences and what they went through as a rookie, it is good for me to take that and keep it in the back of my mind going into my rookie year.

Giddey was impressive in the NBL averaging 10.9 points, 7.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28 games last season with the Adelaide 36ers. He led all players in the NBL in assists, while he finished sixth in rebounding. He registered three triple-doubles and was the youngest Australian to accomplish the feat. He is a projected lottery pick in Thursday’s draft and he can be one of the top players in this draft if he continues to work on his game.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[mm-video type=playlist id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f5k5xtr64thj7fw2 image=https://sixerswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=48546]

[lawrence-related id=48692,48689,48671]

Josh Giddey received NBA advice from Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green

Giddey credited fellow Australians Matisse Thybulle and Josh Green for offering advice on potentially dealing with adversity next season.

Australian Josh Giddey enters the NBA draft boasting one season of professional experience playing in the National Basketball League. However, Giddey understands the transition to the NBA still could have some bumps along the way.

Giddey averaged 10.9 points, 7.6 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 28 games last season with the Adelaide 36ers. He led all players in the NBL in assists, while he finished sixth in rebounding. He registered three triple-doubles, and was the youngest Australian to accomplish the feat.

The 6-foot-8 guard recently finished up a stay with the Australian men’s basketball team ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. He recorded 14 points, four rebounds, three assists and one blocked shot versus Nigeria in his lone appearance.

The time with Australia allowed Giddey to be around veteran NBA players like Joe Ingles, Patty Mills and others. On Friday, Giddey also credited fellow countrymen Matisse Thybulle and Josh Green for offering advice on potentially dealing with adversity next season.

I’ve been in that position, not in the NBA, but in the NBL, I had a slow start to the year. It took me a little while to find my feet but it’s about staying with it. You learn from vets on the team that they’ll help you and guide you through those tough times. A lot of rookies go through it. I had Josh Green and Matisse Thybulle on the team, two of the younger guys and new to the NBA, so to be able to hear from their experiences and what they went through as a rookie, it is good for me to take that and keep it in the back of my mind going into my rookie year.

Giddey, who was one of the last cuts by Australia prior to the Olympics, has drawn comparisons to fellow Australian Ben Simmons with his ability to lead his teams and get others involved. He is touted as a better shooter than Simmons, but the two have a lot of similar qualities.

The 18-year-old will certainly have his fair share of learning moments during the transition to the NBA but, given his ability and prior professional experience, Giddey projects to be able to overcome any potential obstacles with ease.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

[lawrence-related id=31959,34286,35306]

[mm-video type=video id=01fb8je2p2kbkyv0w761 playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01f1jxkahtwnvzepyp image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fb8je2p2kbkyv0w761/01fb8je2p2kbkyv0w761-8dce4526fa414ed148fee8f72da65780.jpg]

[listicle id=35235]

2021 aggregate NBA mock draft 7.0: Ranking the full class of prospects

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in — and who has withdrawn — from the class.

The 2021 NBA draft is less than a week away and we finally have an idea of who is in – and who has withdrawn – from the class.

In order to get a better sense of where all of the prospects stand as of right now, we compiled mock drafts from NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, Bleacher Report, Yahoo, The Athletic, The Ringer, Yahoo, NBA Big Board and USA TODAY Sports Media Group’s For The Win to see where the prospects rank at the moment.

Please note that these rankings reflect the composite score to get a feel for consensus, not our own opinion.

Since our previous update last month, some of the players with the most positive momentum include Quentin Grimes, Joe Wieskamp, Vrenz Bleijenbergh, Aaron Wiggins, Justin Champagnie, Jericho Sims, Jason Preston, Josh Primo, Neemias Queta, Trey Murphy and Bones Hyland.

Among players who ranked on our previous update who have since withdrawn from the draft include Roko Prkacin (32), Marcus Bagley (39), Terrence Shannon (48), Ariel Hukporti (50), Max Abmas (53), Johnny Juzang (54), Jordan Hall (66), Carlos Alocen (69) and Ochai Agbaji (75).

The most notable omissions who remain in this class but not these rankings are Yves Pons, Scottie Lewis, Jay Huff, Marcus Zegarowski, Aamir Simms, Dalano Banton, Matt Mitchell, Jose Alvarado, Carlik Jones, Derrick Alston Jr., Romeo Weems, Balsa Koprivica, Chaundee Brown, Isaiah Miller, Jordan Schakel and D.J. Carton.

Note that for the offensive roles, we borrowed a fun idea from Todd Whitehead (formerly of Nylon Calculus) with help from our friends at Bball-Index.com to create a slightly tweaked formula from the version they use.

The goal of that is not to explain how well a player scores but rather offer context for the way that he was used on his most recent team. This should help you predict how he might be used at the next level.

Meanwhile, you can learn the latest updates on every single prospect who has been included in recent mock drafts by scrolling below.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

Pelicans Mock Draft Roundup: New Orleans focused on wings, shooting

In the latest mock draft roundup for New Orleans, the focus remains on adding shooting and size on the wings.

With the NBA Finals wrapping up on Tuesday, the next thing on the docket on the NBA calendar is the 2021 NBA Draft on July 29. As a result, a handful of mock drafts have come out in recent days with more and more possibilities.

For New Orleans, the focus remains on prioritizing shooting first and foremost. The Pelicans also could look to add depth to the wing, another area they lacked outside of Brandon Ingram last season.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie projected the Pelicans to land wing Josh Giddey out of Australia in his post-Finals mock draft:

“I have less of a feel for the Pelicans than any other team in the top 10. They have a tendency to draft younger (Kira Lewis, Zion Williamson and Jaxson Hayes were all teenagers when they were picked, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker was 20 years old) under this regime. Plus, their backcourt of the future could use a bit more size. I’ve gone Giddey here, who would be a pretty great replacement for Lonzo Ball, given that Ball is a free agent and no guarantee to re-sign in New Orleans.”

One of the most common names to go to the Pelicans at No. 10 is Davion Mitchell, who Jeremy Woo predicted would go to the Pelicans in his latest Sports Illustrated mock:

“As New Orleans prepares to mount a legitimate playoff run next season, expect the Pelicans to explore options involving this pick to improve the roster and expedite their rebuilding process, while revamping the supporting cast around Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. Mitchell’s intangibles, defensive acumen and reputation as a gamer should hold obvious appeal to a team that has frequently struggled on the defensive end, and with late-game decision making. While New Orleans doesn’t necessarily need another guard, Mitchell’s skill set differs significantly from the offensive-minded Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Kira Lewis.”

CBS Sports’ Colin Ward-Henninger, meanwhile, projects Corey Kispert of Gonzaga to land in New Orleans:

“I hear all the criticisms about age and lack of upside, but Corey Kispert is as close to a known commodity as it gets with a premium NBA skill. He’s the best shooter in the draft, with cultivated knowledge of all the tricks to get open and work around screens. The Pelicans need as much shooting around Zion Williamson as possible, and Kispert should be able to hold his own defensively given his size and strength.”

Likewise, NBC Sports’ Adam Hermann also has Kispert slotted to the Pelicans:

“The Pelicans want to surround Zion Williamson with guys who can get buckets, and Kispert is an absolute sharpshooter from deep – 40% from three during his four-year college career, including 44% last year – who could slot as a more dynamic Joe Harris on a team with a megastar at its center.”

While the player added varies, the goal is pretty clear for the Pelicans in adding players that can complement its young superstar in Zion Williamson.

[lawrence-related id=33040,33023,32917]